Koutouloufari Travel Guide

The charming village of Koutouloufari sits just above the port town of Hersonissos
on the east side of Crete. Its a quiet little village nestled into the hills and
is renowned in the area for its excellent Tavernas.

The reason people come to holiday
in Koutouloufari its its proximity to Hersonissos, you can enjoy everything the large
town has to offer, from great shops, sandy beaches and hectic nightlife then retire
back to your quiet little village to sleep in peace.

The village itself is full of
charm and character, and the locals are as friendly and welcoming as ever. You can
walk the streets, stop in at one of the many cafes and enjoy the stunning vistas,
or spend some money in the souvenir and gift shops abound in this little Cretan village.

Where to eat in Koutouloufari?

The village of Koutouloufari offers up some excellent culinary delights, with well
priced food served up by friendly and helpful staff. Firstly we must recommend you
try The Galinirestaurant, which is a Toga themed restaurant, its optional of course
if you want to wear one. The food in The Galini is a mix of European and Greek,
and the prices although slightly higher than the average in Koutouloufari are still
affordable by all.

Another excellent restaurant is the Pegasus restaurant, where the
owners greet you with a smile and offer some fine Greek dishes, our recommendation
for this restaurant is to try the Souflaki, its absolutely wonderful and the meat
just melts in your mouth.

Going into the main centre of Koutouloufari you will find the well placed Sergiani
Restaurant, again the food here is excellent and you must try the Stifado and Mousakka
in your time here. Its mainly an outdoor restaurant so you can sit and eat and watch
the world go by.

One final place to visit if you can tempt yourself away from all the other great
Taverna's and restaurants is Fabrica, its modern decor is at odds with the village
itself but the restaurant is very cosy and welcoming. Try their excellent range
of after dinner cocktails and crepes (pancakes).

What to do in Koutouloufari

Being
such a small village there isn't that much to do here, apart from browse the gift
shops and relax in the cafes and Taverna's, if you head down the hill you will come
to the main crossroads on the national highway, you can cross over the road to find
Gregory’s horses, where you can take wonderful horse riding trips into the mountains.

Walk into Hersonissos and you will find plenty of day boat trips to Dia or Dragon
island, so called because its shaped like a sleeping dragon.

There is an amazing little
museum just past Star beach called the Lychnostatis Open Air Museum. Here you can
look back on Cretan cultural heritage, see how life was lived and admire the many
sights, from old working olive oil presses, wine presses, working water windmills
and much more.

The entrance fee into the museum is 5 euros for adults and children
2 euros and you can get free guided tours around the many different displays and
find out all about the Cretan way of life as it used to be, and in some parts of
Crete still is.

If you can make sure you buy something from the gift shop or leave a small donation
to maintain smooth operation of this wonderful museum.